P90X Day 37

Day 37:  Cardio X

Today I started recording my caloric intake...I take in so much more than I thought I did. No wonder I'm not losing any fricken' weight! My thinking is:  Well, I'm working out now, so I can eat as much as I want as long as it's nutritious. ...No, no, nooooo. Yes to eating nutritiously, no to eating as much as I want *just* because it's healthy foods. I want to lose at least 5 lbs, and I'm not getting there! So it's time to start eating less...

Anyway, Cardio X went well. Plyo section is getting easier, little by little. I still get nauseated after this workout though. Cardio sucks...but that's what'll help me achieve my goal. :P

Thank you for reading! ;)

P90X Day 36

Day 36:  Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps, Ab Ripper X

The muscle confusion is stunning. I'm back to shaking after each workout, and needing a ridiculously large amount of time to just sit and do absolutely nothing after each workout to recover. I'm also pushing harder, and starting to love it. So that may have something to do with it! Ha. XD I never thought I would love working out, and look forward to it every day. But I do!! Of course there are days where I would like to just sit and be lazy all day, but working out gives me more energy and gets rid of that feeling. I get 10x more out of the rest of my day just by working out for that one hour.

Thanks as always for reading. :D

P90X Day 35

Day 35:  Rest

zzz....

P90X Day 34

Day 34: Kenpo X

Still lovin' Kenpo. :D Nothing new to report...

Thanks for reading!!

P90X Day 33

Day 33:  Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X

Well this is the first time I pushed myself doing the leg workout. I'm writing this the day after, and my legs are sore. :( So I guess I didn't stretch enough afterward. But it also means that I'm building muscle in my legs. :)

I'm upping my reps in Ab Ripper X to 22 each,  and 20 on the few that are ridiculously hard for me. With 50 mason twists. :)

Thanks for reading!! :D

P90X Day 32

Day 32:  Yoga X

Nothing to report. Still disliking their yoga routine. Well I quit after the first twenty or thirty minutes, and it's a @#%&ing hour and a half. Who has that much time for something so boring? No one. But maybe the last hour is gold. Who knows?

P90X Day 31

Day 31:  Back & Biceps, Ab Ripper X

Again, I thought it was weird to combine back and biceps, but it works. I've graduated from lifting 5 lbs to 10 lbs. :D I know, that's still not much. But it's more than I could do before! So this is exciting to me! I'm also still seeing tons of improvement in my abs. On Day 1, I tried keeping up with them and doing 25 reps per exercise, but quickly maxed out. Since then, my strategy has been to have a goal of 20 per exercise. I've reached that goal with the exception of the oblique workout, where I only do 16 per side.

With my friends and some coworkers, I sometimes tell people to feel my abs. haha. I probably do this too much...but it's more encouragement to keep going when you have people other than yourself noticing the changes!

Thank you for reading.

P90X Day 30

Day 30:  Plyometrics

Well, today I opted for the Cardio X option they give instead of plyo, because I'm just not there yet. Even Cardio X, which is their "easy" alternative, exhausts me. Oh well. I'm sure this will improve with time, too.

Thanks! :]

P90X Day 29

Day 29:  Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps, Ab Ripper X

I thought the combination of working out chest, shoulders, and triceps was a little strange at first, but now I like it. Each one gives the other muscle a little time to rest. I worked so hard I was shaking for about a half hour afterwards whenever I tried to pick something up or text. But I REALLY want results! ha. I also found out that I need to up my intake of carbs, and maybe move on to the next phase of the nutrition plan as well, because I was truly exhausted during this workout, which hasn't happened for a while.

Ab Ripper X is still killing me, ha. But I love it. I can do more and more each and every time. And since we do this three times a week instead of just once, I keep getting reminded of my progress. :D

Thanks for reading!

P90X Day 28

Day 28:  X Stretch or Rest

I rested! Although I forgot to say that when I walked on Day 26, I also did the first twenty or so minutes of X Stretch. I can definitely see how it would obviously be beneficial, so I am going to *try* to start doing this instead of resting.

Thanks for reading. :D

P90X Day 27

Day 27:  Yoga X

So, since I hate this routine, and I thought yesterday was Cardio X but walked instead, I moved Cardio X to today. I like this and I'm definitely going to replace Plyometrics with this, which they give you the option to do. Cardio X starts out with some yoga, then you do some punching and kicking from their Kenpo workout, then a little bit of Plyo, and finally some core. It's a little bit of everything, but it's all cardio. Even the little bit of Plyo they had in it kicked my butt. Even so, I really like this workout.

P90X Day 26

Day 26:  Core Synergistics

Yeah, for some reason I thought today was "Cardio X." :( I don't know what I was looking at that I saw that. Oh well. I walked 1.8 miles instead, anyway, to get ready for walking 5k for Suicide Awareness on April 28.

P90X Day 25

Day 25:  X Stretch

Took a rest day. I know. I'm terrible.

P90X Day 24

Day 24:  Kenpo X

Love it. Love it. Love it. It lets out all my pent-up anger, and it's fun, AND I'm working out all at the same time. I also feel like if I were in a fight or had to defend myself in some way, I would be a little more prepared than before.

P90X Day 23

Day 23:  Core Synergistics

This is pretty crazy. They have you on the ground doing these ridiculous "Superman Banana" rolls. The moves is here work your entire body, but obviously focus the effort into your core. It works.

Thanks for reading.

P90X Day 22

Day 22:  Yoga X

Yup, didn't do this yoga routine..so just another day of rest.

P90X Day 21

Day 21:  X Stretch or Rest

Rest!

P90X Day 20

Day 20:  Kenpo X

I'm going to say this again:  I LOVE KENPO X! Why aren't all the exercises as fun as this?! I was smiling all the way through. :)

Thanks for reading

P90X Day 19

Day 19:  Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X

Yeah..I only did the ab workout. Oh, well. Improvement on my abs at least!

P90X Day 18

Day 18:  Yoga X

I really, really don't like this yoga routine. I'm just going to substitute this yoga routine for one that I like. Yoga is for the mind, body, and spirit. Yoga X is focused more on your body. I prefer yoga focused on your mind and spirit.

Thanks for reading!

P90X Day 17

Day 17:  Arms & Shoulders, Ab Ripper X

I'm noticing so much improvement in Ab Ripper X! This makes me so happy. EVERY time I do it, I do a few more reps in each exercise. I don't mind doing this workout at all! I'm seeing progress in my arms and shoulders as well, it's just slower. This makes sense since I'm doing abs three times a week, and only arms and shoulders once a week.

Thanks for skimming! lol :)

P90X Day 16

Day 16:  Plyometrics

Instead of sucky plyo, I hula-hooped, which is still a cardio exercise. Ha! Beat the system! I plan on never doing plyo again...working out should be fun, not torturous.

Thank you for reading.

P90X Day 15

Day 15:  Chest & Back, Ab Ripper X

I skipped a day, and am now starting this up again. I really need to be strict on myself. I won't see the results I want without doing the work. I am seeing some progress, which is some motivation to keep going. I'm seeing the most in Ab Ripper X. I can't see my abs yet (because of the protective layer of fat...) but I'm seeing lots of progress in the number of reps, which is rather exciting. Also, I have biceps! They're tiny and barely visible, but they're there! I can feel them. Triceps as well. :D This makes me very happy!

Thanks for reading, as always.

P90X Day 14

Day 14:  Rest or Stretch X

I was going to finish yesterday's Kenpo today instead of resting, since I've been so lazy this week. But, of course, this didn't happen. Granted, I unexpectedly got called into work until 10PM, and couldn't exactly do it afterward. But I had time to do it beforehand, and chose not to. I need to get out of this pit...

P90X Day 13

Day 13:  Kenpo X

I still love Kenpo, but cardio still kicks my butt. With this new habit of mine, I stopped with about 25 minutes left, promising myself that I WOULD finish it after work. This didn't happen.

P90X Day 12

Day 12:  Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X

I knew this was going to become a habit... I didn't finish the entire workout. I stopped with about twenty minutes left.

P90X Day 11

Day 11: Yoga X

Well, today is supposed to be yoga. However, since I don't like this particular yoga routine, and I didn't finish my workout yesterday, I finished yesterday's instead. I didn't do Ab Ripper X though, because I got called into work. Ugh.

P90X Day 10

Day 10:  Shoulders & Arms, Ab Ripper X

Sadly, I was interrupted during this work out about twenty minutes into it. I was surprised at how upset I was that I couldn't finish it. But I was rather peeved. I know if I start  not finishing work outs, I'll make it a habit. That's just how I am. Grah!

P90X Day 9

Day 9:  Plyometrics

Plyometrics sucks. That is all.

P90X Day 8

Day 8:  Chest & Back, Ab Ripper X

I can already see minor improvements. :D I can do more push-ups than I could last time. Pull-ups are still needing work, but I'm getting there. I'm just excited that I'm only on Day 8 and I can already see improvements in performance. I'm not even dreading the exercises (except Plyometrics..ugh.) And I can tell a difference in how I feel. I'm generally calmer, more motivated, and happier.

P90X Day 7

Day 7:  Rest or Stretch X

I chose to rest..not much to report. I also chose for Fridays to be my "cheat days," where I can eat whatever I want and not feel guilty. However today I didn't just cheat, I completely failed. Nothing I ate was even remotely healthy. I'm probably going to discontinue this practice..

P90X Day 6

Day 6:  Kenpo X

Oh my goodness. I LOVE KENPO! The other workouts are all right, but they're not fun necessarily. Kenpo is a blast! Plus, it helps blow off steam. The hour seemed to fly by. Kenpo is basically self defense workout with punching, kicking, blocking, and all three combined. Super fun! Definitely a hit with me. I may even do this again tomorrow instead of resting (since the 7th day is a rest day).

Thanks for reading. :D

P90X Day 5

Day 5:  Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X

This Ab Ripper X is killer! Ugh! And doing it three times a week is absolutely crazy. But I like it somehow. I can feel my core tightening up. Now if only I could lose the layer of fat covering my new ab muscles...
The Legs & Back video consists of hundreds (or at least one hundred) of squats, lunges, and toe raises for leg muscle, and pull-ups for the back. I extremely dislike my legs, so I'm glad this workout is included. It's certainly extreme, and I'm not doing the same reps they're doing and I'm modifying a lot. But hey, I'm doing my best.

I don't seem to be losing weight yet. Losing weight isn't necessarily my overall goal, but it would be nice. Losing fat and gaining lean muscle is my goal. I'm trying my hardest to eat well, and I'm doing a good job, I think. I can feel the difference already. I used to feel sick all the time, but now I feel healthy (other than the sometimes extreme fatigue from working out and lack of adequate sleep.) I just can't wait for the results to be visible!

Thanks as always for reading! :}D

P90X Day 4

Day 4: Yoga X

I was extremely excited for this day, because I LOVE YOGA. (Of course, shouting is necessary.) It's a nice break from the extreme and constant action of the other days. However, this yoga routine is rather repetitive, not in a good way. I woke up to do it at 4:30 AM, because with school until three and work at four I didn't have any other time to do it since this routine is 92 minutes long. Needless to say, I had almost no motivation to do anything other than sleep. So after twenty minutes of the boring upward-facing-dog--plank--downward-facing-dog--some-variation-of-a-warrior-pose routine, I called it quits and went back to bed. Seriously, those moves are not "extreme." At all. I was craving variation, and apparently at 4:30 AM I easily succumb to boredom. There were a few key poses in there that I did enjoy though. Well, that's all..

Thanks for reading! XD

P90X Day 3

Day 3:  Shoulders & Arms, Ab Ripper X

My arms feel like they're going to fall off. This was an hour of shoulders, biceps, triceps, shoulders, biceps, triceps, shoulders, biceps, triceps, on and on. Very tough, but it's a good pain. Ab Ripper X is not yet getting easier. I was still sore from last time today, so I think I actually did a little less. But...I'm determined in this area. I want a beastly abdominal region, and a little pain and slow progress won't stop me! It just makes me want it more! Nothing worth having is easily obtained.

Thanks for reading!

P90X Day 2

Day 2:  Plyometrics

This is certainly the hardest thing I've had to do for a very long time. It would have definitely came in handy for my cheer leading days. It was all various jumps. I'm going to be completely honest here:  I stopped twenty minutes into the workout. I literally maxed out at twenty minutes of this. I watched a little then fast-forwarded to the cool down. Hopefully I'll improve next time! But, hey, I'm just proud of myself for getting up and doing it instead of sitting on the couch all day, which is what I would have been doing otherwise.

Thanks for reading!

P90X Day 1

Day 1:  Chest & Back, Ab Ripper X

Well, this is the start of things. I have just completed Day 1 of P90X. I'm sore, in pain, and downing a protein shake. The majority of this chest and back workout consisted of various styles of push-ups and pull-ups (not my strong suit). I can't keep up-- yet. I actually started to see stars, so I took a water break of course. But I did it. Abdominal workouts are definitely my strong suit, and I kept up with Tony until halfway through, then I paced myself and did half or less of the reps they were doing.

One word to sum up Day 1:  Intense!

Tomorrow is Plyometrics, and I'm not looking forward to that at all. I'm not exactly sure what the word "plyometrics" means, but I understand that it's a lot of jumping. So, cardio. Cardio is the worst. I tire out and feel nauseous quickly. Ugh. Well, I'd better not knock it before I try it, and we'll see how it goes tomorrow!

Thanks for reading! :D

P90X Fitness Test

Today I took the fitness test to see if I am "ready" for P90X. Guess what..I FAILED  two of the tests. I can't do one full wide-grip pull-up or complete two minutes of jumping jacks. But I did pass every other test. You know what else? I'm going to push through it anyway. I made a decision to commit to this program, and there is no shame in modifying the fitness routines. NONE. I will be more proud of myself for doing my best-- even if my best is 3/4 of a pull up-- than I would be if I didn't try at all.  I don't believe being ready for this program is purely physical. In fact, the majority of the preparation for it is mental. All you need to have starting this program is the motivation to do so and to keep trying every day. (This is much easier said than done, of course!)

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow." (Radmacher)

Thank you for reading! :)

Pre-P90X

I have ordered P90X and have been waiting for it since last Wednesday. It's Sunday. I AM FEELING THE ANTICIPATION! Every day I check the shipping progress, getting a little more anxious. I'm probably more excited than I should be considering how much pain I'm going to put myself through, but I'm ready! I'm ready to transform myself from this weak, sluggish person into a healthy, energetic woman.

I've always been skinny. When I was young I was lanky and awkward, and going through puberty filled me out a bit, but not much. Now that I'm 18 and a senior in high school, I find myself unhealthily losing then gaining large amounts of weight without meaning to (as in fifteen pounds within two weeks.) My goal is not to lose much weight, but to get healthy, tone up, and build muscle. I completely trust P90X to help me accomplish these goals.

You can also find me on www.teambeachbody.com if you're interested in my progress and I stop posting on here.